Millions of Medicaid recipients could find relief in the form of food shopping funds as the Biden administration begins approving state requests to use the coverage for groceries.
It's part of a larger movement that identifies "food as medicine" as priority in a person's healthcare plan.
A study by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities found a correlation between food insecurity and poor health. People that lacked access to nutritious food options showed increased risk for chronic problems like diabetes, heart disease, obesity and mental health disorders.
The move is being met with opposition from those who say including food in Medicaid coverage is an unnecessary expansion.
"This is really the first I've seen the federal government push food and air conditioners and other things as allowable. We already have the SNAP program," Gary D. Alexander, head of the Medicaid and Health Safety Net Initiative for Paragon health Institute, told The Wall Street Journal.
Last year, pilot programs in Arkansas, Massachusetts and Oregon were tested that allowed the states to spend millions in federal and state funds on health needs and included variations of healthy-meal preparation and nutrition counseling.
"We're able to cover cooking classes and nutrition classes," James Schroder, interim director of the Oregon Health Authority said. "We can do up to six months of what we call 'food and veggie RX.' And up to six months of medically tailored meals."
People ages 19 through 24 who were at high risk for long-term poverty were able to receive coverage for nutritional services in Arkansas, while Massachusetts provided home-delivered meals for up to six months as well as "food prescriptions."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will have “overall security responsibility” in Gaza for an indefinite period after its war with Hamas.
The Israeli army severed northern Gaza from the rest of the besieged territory and pounded it with airstrikes Monday, preparing for expected ground battles with Hamas militants in Gaza's largest city and an even bloodier phase of the month-old war.
Four men were charged Monday over the theft of an 18-carat gold toilet from Blenheim Palace, the sprawling English country mansion where British wartime leader Winston Churchill was born.
Donald Trump began testifying Monday morning in his civil fraud trial, producing the spectacle of a former president and the leading Republican presidential candidate defending himself against allegations that he dramatically inflated his net worth.
The most-watched races in Tuesday’s off-year general election have all been dominated by the ongoing debate over abortion rights.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is reportedly planning to endorse Florida Gov. Ron Desantis in the Republican primary.
The endorsement could give DeSantis' campaign a boost as he struggles to show progress against Donald Trump in the Republican primary.
With Donald Trump due on the witness stand next week, testimony from his adult sons in his civil business fraud trial wrapped up Friday with Eric Trump saying he relied completely on accountants and lawyers to assure the accuracy of financial documents key to the case.
The watchdog office overseeing the National Science Foundation is sending investigators to Antarctica's McMurdo Station after hearing concerns about the prevalence of sexual violence at the U.S. research base.
Frederico Klein, a former State Department official, was sentenced to nearly six years in prison after being found guilty on several counts including assault of multiple police officers at the Capitol on Jan. 6.
